Labette Community College Student Life

Campus Activities Board (CAB) plans out the year at "The Bridge" in Joplin! Kelly Schaffner plays Guitar Hero III with an area elementary student. In addition, CAB worked on team building on the rock wall.

6-12-08 I have had a lot of fun with SGA this past semester, and this semester I was able to help with summer plann

ing. Even better, we were able to do our summer planning at The Bridge in Joplin! We discussed upcoming events over lunch, and then had fun! We climbed the rock wall (which is incredibly difficult to make it to the top), and play Guitar Hero III. (On a side note, “Through the Fire and Flames” on expert is probably not a good song for a first timer to play ;) All in all, it was a great experience for me and the rest of the SGA team. We were able to strengthen our cooperation and friendships. I am really excited about the upcoming events!

4-18-08 Spring Fling! Wow, I don't know where to begin. It was awesome! When I first got here, I had a hard time finding a parking space, there were soo many people there. We had some great entertainment, like Rock Band, Knock your head off, an

d airbrush tattoos. Things got little crazy as we were rushing around to get the Jon Peter Lewis concert, but we managed it all right. The concert went really well, with approximately 110 people there, and I finally got to meet a real contestant on American Idol! That was exciting! Overall, I think Spring Fling was huge success! Now, on to planning the Awards Ceremony! -Marti

SGA Senator

Fall 2008 SGA Secretary

4-07-08 We had so much fun at the Phi Theta Kappa International Conference!! We won 3 international awards, and

Dr. Hatcher won an award, too! We got to attend

many informational sessions that will help us become better leaders in the future and will hopefully help us in encouraging more people to be part of the Tau Theta chapter of Phi Theta Kappa. I enjoyed Philly. I met many nice people that I look forward to seeing again in Dallas this next year. I have to say that the trip started out not so good, but in the end, it was great. The first day we left, it took us forever to get to Philly. We had like a 5 hour delay due to bad weather. THEN, our luggage got lost in the Atlanta airport. So, we were in Philly, but our clothes----not so much!! It was pretty depressing until at 3AM I received a phone call in my room telling me to wake everyone up

and that our luggage needed to be picked up in the lobby ASAP. I woke up screaming for everyone to get up and ran out the door with no glasses and barefooted!! I was sooooo excited to see my clothes and curling iron and make-up!! That would have made a long week! Coming back, our flight left a little early, we got our luggage, and made it to Parsons around 5PM. That was just enough time to eat supper with my family. That was worth it!! I enjoy Phi Theta Kappa sooo much and hope that everyone will strive to get good grades so that they too can experience the great things I am experiencing!! Thank you LCC for giving me the encouragement and support to continue my education!! I love you!

3-26-08 My trip to Washington D.C. was a wonderful experience for me. This was the first trip to the eastern seaboard. That's one of the reasons why I wanted to go on this trip besides being a history major was to view something I have never seen before.

Washington D.C. was a very different type of scenery that I am never use to because we come from a rural area. The traffic is similar to that of Joplin and Wichita but with narrow streets. The houses are narrow.

My favorites parts of the trip would be getting to see the memorials. One of the memorials was kind of emotional

and that was the Vietnam. It was so overwhelming. The Lincoln and the Jefferson memorials had the feeling of a sense of power and pride for my country. The World War II memorial had me thinking about the relatives as well as the soldiers who fought for our country.

Another aspect of the trip was going to Gettysburg. That was the most favorite of them all. I was jumping for joy going there because I was imagining all these soldiers fighting against one another. Seeing the generals

planning the tactics. The field itself had a sense of alertness as if something was going to happen. I was actually standing on the part where Pickett's charge took place. The scenery was awesome. I could just see the bodies laying there on the battlefield. All those men who were being amputated. Sorry I'm kind getting graphic.

Arlington National cemetery was great experience too. Seeing all

those tombstones was kind of emotional. The changing of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown. Most people did not know there was four soldiers buried there from each war. I got to see Robert E. Lee's plantation from where I saw on a documentary.

The ghost tour was another part of my trip. I am a major paranormal freak. I've never been on a ghost tour before. I was imagining the stories as they were told. The one that spooked me the most was the guy with a knife in his head.

Smithsonian was another one. I went to the Natural history museum as well as the Native-American one and an art one.

We saw the White House. Actually the White House actually named the White House when it was first built. It was Teddy Roosevelt who named the name "White House."

There were a lot of protests.

We went to the Capital building, the Portrait Gallery, and the Union Station.

What was a fun expertise for me was getting to ride the metro and the bus.

The Holocaust museum was an emotional experience. I wouldn't even want to talk about it. I think it made an impact on people on this trip.

Going up there was very tiring. I hardly slept a wink. But it was worth it.

There were very pretty mountain ranges that I wanted to take many pictures of.

I could have gotten down to the nitty-gritty but that would be most of my trip. One of these days, I'll have to go back up there.

-Ari
History Major at LCC

3-26-08 Washington D.C. was incredible. The long trip East on the bus had its good and bad moments :) but once

we got there, it was worth it!! Personally, I really enjoyed the day we spent in Gettysburg, PA and the nightview we did of the Lincoln, Jefferson, FDR, Korea, and Vietnam memorials. Our group was fortunate to have two wonderful tour guides who helped clue us in on many little details about the city and its history. There is a lot of symbolism built into every part of the city, and it was a great experience just to drive down the streets and look at the buildings and scenery. The famous cherry trees were just starting to bloom...how beautiful!!

3-25-08 Washington D.C. was one of the best learning experiences I have had in a long time! I enjoyed

everything about it. There is so much symbolism behind the city the you cannot fully appreciate until you actually experience. One of my favorite things about it was seeing all of the memorials at night. I also loved the Smithsonian Museums. They are great. And if I ever got a chance to go back, I would. Our tour guides were wonderful and I am actually thinking about going and being a program assistant because of all the things I got to experience in our nation's capital!!!

3-3-08 This weekend, PTK traveled to Kansas City to attend our State Conference. This was so exciting for me because it was my first one to go to. I was so proud of our chapter! It felt good to know that our hard work in writing all of those papers was worth it. I was estatic to find out that we won all 3 Hallmark Awards!! We had a dance and it was

a blast. I danced with our regional president for most of the night, and he made me laugh the entire time! He was such a goofball! Everyone had fun! There were tons of colleges there and tons of free food! At first, I was just ignoring the many colleges that were there because I was already at PSU. I finally decided to go looking around and found many colleges that were offering much, much better scholarships than Pitt. After much decision making, I finally landed on Texas A&M. I am sure that Dr. Knox will be happy to hear that I will no longer be attending "..that school over there by Pittsburg somewhere..." and will be attending Texas A&M starting in the fall. They have offered me pretty much a full ride! I am estatic!!! I met with many people from there this weekend, and they are all so nice. On top of them being ranked the 3rd in the nation for giving out scholarships to PTK people, they are well known for their Agriculture and Education programs. For those of you who do not know me very well, I have lots of cows and enjoy showing them during the summer. After saying this to the recruiter, he introduced me to a lady that was on their dairy judging team. She said that I could get a scholarship just for helping judge and 'helping around on the farm'. Well, I have lived on a farm my whole life so this was exciting news for me! I have never been privileged enough to go to a school that actually had an ag program. I met a few of the students from down there and they were also very nice. I am looking forward to this exciting new experience, and I know it will be a blast! I am traveling there on April 18 and 19 to get everything situated. My time at LCC has been a fun ride, and I will miss everyone! My friends at Pitt are upset that I am leaving, but I am moving down where it is warmer!!! I hate the cold. I know my days of being your SGA Pres' are getting shorter and shorter. This is very sad for me, but I am looking towards what my future holds for me. I am just ready to get our there and do what I enjoy most and that is teaching. I love kids and look forward to seeing their bright smiles entering my classroom!

2-13-08 Homecoming was tons of fun. It kind of felt like pro

m again. Everyone was dressed very nice. There were lots of people at the game and that was encouraging. I was glad to see the community come out and watch like they did. The chili feed seemed like it went very well, also. The food was great!

2-7-08 Well, we are into another semester, and things are busier than ever! 13th Street is open, Movie Nights have started, and classes are harder than ever! I have looked

forward to beginning the Nursing Program, and am now in with both feet. The reading, the labs, as well as the classes are living up to my expectations. Is it hard? Yes! But, the end result will more than justify the time and energy. LCC's pass rates on the NCLEX (State Boards for Nursing) continue to be among the top for schools in Kansas. If you see a large bald guy, with his nose buried in a book, it's me!

1-3-08 As CAB President, I was very excited about Labette Idol. I have had a lot of fun working on upcoming events, and I was probably most excited about Labette Idol. My sister wanted to come, so I brought her, and we had a lot of fun. As we got started, I was shocked at how fast the

auditorium filled. We were so packed that we are going to need a bigger place next year to accommodate everyone. We had some really good performers, lots of excellent singers. I don’t see how the judges were able to decide the winner! We had some amazing intermission entertainment, and although there were only six cash prizes, every contestant went home with some great prizes. I think everyone there had a great time. My sister has already said she wants to come next year. All in all, it went really well. I can’t think of anything I would have done to change it. It was perfect.

11-30-07 School is almost out for Christmas!!! There's only one small roadblock that I have to overcome, FINALS!!! The thought of more tests makes me a little

nervous, but I think that I'll manage OK. I have really learned a lot this semester, and should be set. I can't believe that were at the end of the semester though. It has absolutely flown by! I will miss all my new friends I made this semester, but I will be happy to see them all return next semester. I really like this school.,and am already excited about next spring. HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!!! -Marti

SGA Senator

11-15-07 Hey, LCC people! This semester has gone by so fast, and I know the next one probably will too. I'm excited about the fact that I will have my degree in about six months!

I just got back from a Phi Theta Kappa trip I took to Jackson, Mississippi with the Independence Community College PTK chapter. We went to Jackson to be part of the studio audience for a taping of an Honors Topic Satellite Seminar. These are lectures that are recorded and distributed to PTK chapters everywhere for discussion. We've had 3 discussion lunches so far at LCC this semester using these seminars.

Needless to say, it was awesome to actually be there for the tapin

g. The speaker, Kevin Phillips, had this topic: “American Theocracy: Politics, Radical Religion, Oil, and Borrowed Money in the 21st Century.” Quite a mouthful, isn't it?! It was a LOT of information to take in. We'll be viewing the recording of this seminar and discussing it on Tuesday, November 27 at noon in the conference room. Signs are up around campus if you need a reminder. Please consider joining us! The topic and issues discussed are things that we all need to be reminded of.

We did take some time for some not-quite-so-serious activities in Jackson, too! I especially enjoyed touring the campus of Millsaps University. It's a small school with a BIG personality!! On the way back, we stopped in Memphis and browsed through an Elvis souvenir shop and took pictures outside Graceland. I have to say, I'm pretty indifferent when it comes to Elvis, but it was a nice break from the trip and I had fun. ;-)

Now it's back to the usual routine of things! We've only got a few weeks left in this semester, so let's make the most of them! Good luck to everyone as we prepare for finals week....

10-25-07 My experience at NACA would have to be amazing. I had so much fun meeting different schools, seeing where people came from, and the many events I could bring to LCC. But the

greatest experience I had was going to the educational sessions. I went to a lot of diversity sessions that helped me understand a lot about diversity. It made such an impact on me that I'm going to try and start up a multi-culture club here on campus. Our campus has many cultures and it's a shame we don't get to see the beauty of them all. I would like to bring in different foods, and activities for people to see what they're missing out on. I want to leave people wanting to know more about other cultures besides their own. Overall, my experience at NACA was how do you say "Freakin Sweet." I can't wait to bring the many events to LCC and I can't wait to share the many cultures.

10-10-07 Wow, I can't believe that midterms are almost here! It seems like this y

ear has flown by. I have been really busy keeping my grades up, and have not even had time to be bored. As SGA senator, I have had a lot of fun working with and around the college, helping sponsor events, and various other things. I'm really excited about the upcoming Kid's Fall Fest, Card Night, and Labette Idol. Even though this is my freshman year, I have made several good friends, and really learned a lot from the classes. This year has really been fun so far!

9-28-07 Hey! My classes are going well. I dropped one class, so now I am at 22 hours (which is exciting news!). So far, in SGA, we have sponsored Card Week and Cheap Chow and those went over really well. We are already preparing for our upcoming Kids Fall

Fest that is at the end of October. We are also planning for SGA's Leadership Conference and Labette Idol, which are both in November. With PTK, we just hosted the Kansas Regional Leadership Conference at LCC, and it was a lot of fun. It seems that this semester is flying by so fast. I have midterms at Pitt in 2 weeks!!! That is scary. I am dreading taking a test for 9 different classes all in the same week. I will be so tired. I have already decided that I am NOT going to take 25 hours ever again. I am only working about 8 hours a week and not getting any sleep. This is definitely wearing me out. I do not know how I keep up with everything, but I do. I want to keep my good GPA. I just found out too that I was asked to be part of Kappa Delta Pi also at PSU, so I am excited to see what that will be like. PSU is also wanting me to be a KNEA officer for them starting in the spring and they want to send me to some big leadership conference. I will just have to see whether I will have time or not! I am already going to DC and Philly!! Hope everyone is having a good semester! ;)

9-19-07 Constitution Day!!! What a blessing it was to be a member of Labette Community College on September 17^th 2007. About a month ago I was asked as a student and as a

member of SGA to recite the Declaration of Independence on Constitution Day. What an honor to be thought of for an extra curricular activity. When I was asked I was warned that I would be dressing up in a mask and we would really be going all out. I was so excited! Then on September 17^th 2007 as I walked the halls I was encouraged by staff and students alike to “do good” and a “I can’t wait to see you in that Betsy Ross costume”. I delivered the Declaration as any college student would, with a few sighs but a very well studied tone. When I returned to my seat I felt a sense of accomplishment, like these are the memories I want to have of college. Not only did I learn to appreciate the country I live in, but also I learned to be proud of my college who expects more of me, so that I will expect more of myself.

9-13-07 Welcome back to our student body, and thanks for the votes! I have been the SGA Vice President for a week now, and am looking forward to working with everyone. If there are any concerns you have that should be brought to the attention of the SGA, please don’t hesitate to find “The Large Bald Guy” and let me know.

-Pete

SGA VP

9-12-07 School is going well for me. I was kind of scared at first with me taking 25 hours. It is not as bad as I thought. It is

similar to a job for me. I start classes at 8AM and end at 8PM. I only get 5 to 10 minutes in between classes and a 1 hour lunch break. I really enjoy all of my classes except for 1. School seems to just be flying by already! I start midterms in 4 weeks! I have been working very hard to get my homework done and fulfill my duties as SGA President and an executive officer for PTK. I hope everyone is having a great semester also.

-Linseh

SGA President

8-24-07 Coming to LCC was, at first, a little scary. I had home schooled all my life and had never really had the

school experience that most people have. But, during just the first week here, I feel very comfortable. All of my professors are very cool, and seem to have a genuine interest in their students to help them achieve their dreams. Being a work-study here, I have had a chance to interact and become friends with some of the faculty and students. I can't wait to dive deep into the semester.

7-24-07 SUMMER SCHOOL!!! I took a class the first session of the summer and it was not as hard as I thought it would be. Intermediate Algebra; it was a six week course but one of the

weeks Mr. B (only one of the best math teachers EVER) went on vacation so we had a week off right in the middle. It was great just as every one was getting tired of being there he took off. And then when I needed a week off to do some personal stuff he let me go with out it affecting my grade. Another great thing about summer classes is that the Student Lounge was so quite, that my homework was done in no time. It also helped that the math tutor (Gail Bisher) was right across the breezeway when I needed her. All in all summer school was not as scary as I thought. Now that my class is over I still have like a month to do all the fun summer things that there are to do in Parsons.

4-26-07 Why LCC? This year I will proudly watch my son, Tim, graduate with a B.A. (Bachelor’s of Arts) in history, with a minor in political science. . Each semester, I see students struggling with different issues. I have seen faculty and staff

reach out in different ways to help students like these succeed. Tim is one of the students who have succeeded because of Labette Community College. Not all of the students who enter our doors will complete an associate degree here. However, many students completing associates, bachelors, Masters, and Doctorate degrees elsewhere started here. Labette Community College is an excellent place to start your college work.

During the first few years of elementary school, Tim loved education. He was a good student drawn especially to science and history. He got along well with his peers, both male and female.

Somehow, from 3^rd grade on, he became increasingly the target for the bullies. At the same time he had a worsening eye problem that was missed on repeated exams. I firmly believe this made him and even easier target for the bullies who quickly picked up on this. He had lost his peripheral vision and could not see attacks come up behind him. When the bullying problem was caught, the elementary principal dealt with it firmly. However, when he moved onto middle school and a new principal, the same bullies came at him again. Unfortunately, this principal saw the problem as totally Tim’s. He refused to see it as a school problem. In addition, it was not only students, but two teachers as well. In addition, Tim began having more trouble compensating for the undiscovered eye problem. When the school refused testing and my son refused to return to any school, I made the tough decision to allow Tim to complete his education at home. Through testing, the eye problem was discovered and eye therapy started with much success. Educational testing resulted in the recommendation that I go directly to high school work and just get Tim ready for college. By the time Tim was 15, he had completed enough work to be a junior and was ready for much needed socialization beyond family and church. I turned to the place I had started my college classes in 1978, Labette Community College.

Tim has always loved sports, and despite inheriting my lack of coordination (as well as his poor eyesight) has tried to be an

active participant. Therefore, the first class he wanted to take was Coach Joe Renfro’s Rules and Regulations. Tim was already over 6’ and blended in easily with the college students. Joe and his students accepted Tim, treating him as an equal. It meant much to Tim that even the next semester, Joe remembered his name. This success helped him see that his middle school experience was an isolated event. He explored some more classes with Tom Duran, not sure yet on a final career choice. After taking a history class here, he returned to his first passion and knew he wanted to be a teacher again (community college or above). Instructors in World Geography and Kansas History wrote him notes of praise on his work for adding to the content of the class and recognizing him for both his passion and hard work. Even simple comments such as the positive challenge of grading his anthropology paper (Brad Huffaker) were confidence boosters Tim needed. One of Tim’s last obstacles was math, a subject that has always been a struggle for him. Kim Miller helped him review and get the base he needed to get through algebra.

Tim considered another neighboring community college. However, because of his age, they did not want to “assume any risk or liability” of him being on their campus. I am glad he ended up here. I know the preparation Labette Community College gave him has helped him succeed. Tim is 19 years old. He will start work on his Master’s in August. I think that is proof that Labette Community College is a great place to start.

If you have any questions, comments or concerns contact:
Juliana Kepner
Student Retention and Activities Specialist
(620) 421-6700 ext. 1178